Homeowners with gravel driveways have been urged to pour salt on them to prevent pesky weeds from growing, and time could be of the essence. Weeds (unwanted but persistent plants that grow in cracks in concrete and can blight gardens) flourish in sunny conditions, and weather forecasts suggest vast swathes of the UK could be basking in 20C-plus temperatures this weekend.
Thankfully, an expert has explained a simple trick to tackle them before the potential arrival of the Spring sunblast. Joe from Joe’s Lawncare shared various tips to keep gravel driveways weed-free, including pulling them up by hand, using commercial weed killer, or even making your own.
In a blog post on the firm’s website, he explained that rock salt “is actually a super-effective and totally natural weed killer that is ace at clearing a gravel driveway”.
He recommends spring some of it “on the ground surrounding any weeds you can see and then sit back and watch as the salt kills the weeds in just a matter of days”, describing its effectiveness as “almost unbelievable”.
However, the firm notes that the results are “pretty long term” as “the salt will gradually seep into the ground where it was sprinkled, preventing any weeds (or plants) from being able to grow there for a while”.
They therefore advise only using a conservative amount and in limited areas to avoid your lawn being damaged.
Its just one of a number of approaches you can take to clear your driveway of weeds, and another cheap and natural option is baking soda.
According to paving experts its an effective solution for weeds growing between cracks in your block paving, because it dehydrates the tissues to dry out the plant, eventually killing it.
The Spruce explains: “The reason baking soda is effective in killing weeds is that one of its major ingredients is salt. In sufficient quantities, salt’s effect on plants is to dehydrate them.
“If you want to kill a weed permanently, this is one way to do it: dry it out so much that it can’t take up water anymore, and the weed will die for good.”
However, it stressed that baking soda will also kill plants and grass and should also be used in a limited way.
You can find out more about how to use it on their website.